January 2016 by Senior Times

RECIPE WONDERS | READING CORNER | TINSELTOWN TALKS | CALENDAR

10 Easy Ways to

Eat More Veggies! Start 2016 off right

JANUARY 2016

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INSIDE

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CONTENTS JANUARY 2016 • VOL. 17 ISSUE 01

ON THE COVER – Carrots and blueberries and asparagus, oh my! One of the most stated resolutions for the New Year is to eat more healthfully. Stay on track by learning new ways to include these colorful veggies into your meals. Here’s to 2016! PHOTO BY ERICKA WINTERROWD

departments 8 12 37

Tapas Community Page Charity of the Month

38 42 43

Calendar of Events Crossword Puzzle Theatre Listings

columns 20

by Nick Thomas

Don’t Want to Travel Alone?

BY CYNTHIA WONDERS WINTERROWD

BY MICHAEL STONE

January 2016

BY ERICKA WINTERROWD

Embracing Life by Donna Bonnell

Reading Corner Review by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Healthy Tips 10 Ways to Eat More Veggies!

Veteran Carlos Crews World War II Airman Readied Planes for D-Day, Other Major Operations

Recipe Wonders Resolution Recipes

Son Makes a Surprising Travel Companion BY PAT TERRY

Healthy Edge by Kendra Siler-Marsiglio

features 14

Tinseltown Talks

Community Voice Baseball Cards BY TOM SHERIDAN

WINNER! Congratulations to the winner from our DECEMBER 2015 issue…

Ed Amsbury from Gainesville, Florida

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FROM THE EDITOR œ ALBERT ISAAC Published monthly by Tower Publications, Inc.

www.seniortimesmagazine.com PUBLISHER

Charlie Delatorre charlie@towerpublications.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Hank McAfee hank@towerpublications.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Albert Isaac editor@towerpublications.com Fax: 352-416-0175 MANAGING EDITOR

Ericka Winterrowd

To Your Health! Alas, another New Year is here and, if you’re like me, it’s time to start breaking some new resolutions. Yes, I said breaking because, let’s face it, I’m typically unrealistic when it comes to making resolutions. I say I’m going to eat better and I’m going to get more exercise but what I really do is eat more and not exercise at all — unless you count home repairs. There is no shortage of repairs to be made at our humble abode and since we have a split-level house I do run up and down the stairs quite a lot. So there’s that. But that is the extent of my exercise. I would like to say this year will be different. Perhaps it will. It’s too early to tell. But as far as resolutions go — as of this writing, anyway — I’m not making any. This, however, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make some. And with this in mind, we have some stories about healthy living. With the holidays behind us, it’s likely (if you’re anything like me) you’ve been inundated with all manner of delicious and unhealthy meals. Take a peek at our Recipe Wonders for a healthy alternative — and don’t forget about your veggies. You can read about 10 ways to include more vegetables into your diet.

January 2016

ericka@towerpublications.com

Being active is also of paramount importance to a long and healthy life. For me, if I were smart, I’d be back on my old bicycle, pedaling around town, instead of on the motorcycle, which only provides me exercise when it breaks down and I have to push it. So check out our Community Voice section to learn about the importance and fun of playing softball, no matter your age. We’re also kicking off the New Year with our continuing series on World War II veterans with a proﬁle of another member of The Greatest Generation. Veteran Carlos Crews spent three years in service during the war, preparing C-47 troop transport planes for the DDay invasion. Last but not least is a travel piece, because experiencing new places is also good for your health. According to The Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, people who vacation regularly have decreased risks of heart attack and depression and better brain health. So read about one writer’s adventures traveling with her grown son. Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year! s

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$ clockwise from top left MICHAEL STONE is a journalist, photographer and communications teacher based in Gainesville. His primary topics of focus include health care, conservation and wildlife, and business. He enjoys traveling, wildlife photography and trying all the great vegan dishes at area restaurants. michaelstone428@gmail.com CYNTHIA WONDERS WINTERROWD is an award-winning writer who was raised in Illinois and lives in Gainesville. She is proud to be a “Gator Mom” of three daughters, all UF graduates. Cynthia loves sharing family recipes that have been passed down in her mother’s handwritten cookbooks. recipewonders@gmail.com PAT TERRY Pat Terry is a former Chicago Tribune writer and public relations professional who freelances articles and photos for publications such as the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and online home/garden publications. www.terrywriters.com

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Mozart

TAPAS œ JANUARY

FAMOUS CLASSICAL COMPOSER MOZART WAS BORN ON

The King Martin Luther King Jr. day

JANUARY 27, 1756.

falls on January 18. Along

HERE ARE SOME FUN FACTS.

American to have his

with George Washington, King is the only other birthday observed as a national holiday. The civil rights leader was jailed 29 times for acts of civil disobedience and on

• The composer’s full name is Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. • Mozart, a child prodigy, was picking out chords by ear at age three, playing short pieces by age four, and composing by age ﬁve. He completed his ﬁrst full symphony at just eight years old.

trumped-up charges.

How Trivial! January 4 is National Trivia Day. Columbia University students Ed Goodgold and Dan Carlinsky started writing trivia columns in

• Mozart was afraid of the trumpet when he was a child.

the 1960s before founding the ﬁrst quiz bowls to test knowledge on interesting yet unimportant facts.

• Even though he only lived to age 35, Mozart created over 600 works.

January 2016

The duo went on to write the ﬁrst trivia book, which earned a spot on the New York Times bestseller list.

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Best of Gainesville AWARD

A FURRY GOOD DAY January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day, a time to think about the importance of these tiny creatures. The holiday’s creator, Christy Hargrove, said, “Celebration of the event itself is up to the individual or group — anything from putting out extra food for the squirrels to learning something new about the species. species.”

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Rod Stewart JANUARY 10, 1945 Before he became a famous singer-songwriter, Rod Stewart worked a number of odd jobs, from delivering newspapers to grave digging. The London-born musician has come a long way since then, releasing over 60 hit singles and achieving commercial success in bands and as a solo artist. Stewart p played with a number of musical groups including Steampacket, The Jeff Beck Group and Faces. His 30 studio albums incorporate multiple genres, fusing rock, blues, soul and R&B. In addition to his musical career, Stewart is known for being a ladies’ man — he has Years Old had eight different children by ﬁve different women.

A FEW OTHER NOTABLE

January Birthdays

Piper Laurie (84) January 22, 1932

Born January 31, 1921 in Seattle, Washington, Carol Channing rose to become a famous actress on the stage and the screen. Channing made her Broadway debut as the character Lorelei Lee in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” She went on to portray the title character in the musical “Hello Dolly!” and helped the production win 10 Tony Awards in 1964. Channing also went on to appear in the ﬁlm “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” She is known for her loud raspy voice and inﬂated blonde hair.

January 2016

Rowan Atkinson (61)

Dolly Parton (70)

January 6, 1955

January 19, 1946

Jimmy Page (72)

Gene Hackman (86)

January 9, 1944

January 30, 1930

“Laughter is much more important than applause. Applause is almost a duty. Laughter is a reward.” — CAROL CHANNING

Years Old

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SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Don’t Want to Travel Alone? Adult Son Makes a Surprising Travel Companion by Pat Terry photography by Scott Terry and Pat Terry

’d wanted to visit Guatemala for ages, since we sponsored a young boy living near Lake Atitlán. Over the years, José Alfonso Bixcul Cuc sent us colorful drawings of his beautiful mountain-rimmed lake, while the charity sponsor sent periodic photos of José’s family dressed in their bright Mayan textiles. But I had no traveling companion: My husband, Cliff, doesn’t share my passion for Latin America, and recently announced that our 10 trips to South and Central America, often as home-building volunteers, were enough. So when our younger son, Scott, called and asked, “Do you want to go to Guatemala?” I was delighted, but surprised. “With you?” I asked. Yes, he said. And yes, he would pay his own way. “Of course,” I said quickly. Now I had a traveling companion — an independent, adventurous companion. I love to travel, though it’s usually been with Cliff, except for the rare business trip and one volunteer project in Peru with Chicago’s Brookﬁeld Zoo. But I’ve never traveled with either son, both of whom still cringe when anything off-color or sexual is mentioned around their parents. Even at 40 and 43 years old, they grimace and stick their ﬁngers in their ears, muttering, “TMI” (too much information). After accepting Scott’s unexpected invitation, I wondered a little nervously how this would work. Since we were both on budgets, accommodations would be a challenge — as would the idea of sharing a room with an adult male offspring. How

January 2016

would we decide the day’s itinerary, since this was not a prearranged tour? Would it be hard to balance our interests and agree on activities? If not, would it be safe to go off separately? Destination Guatemala bit the dust a few weeks later, when Scott’s company reported a serious crime committed against a Honduran employee near Lake Atitlán. “Where else should we go?” Scott asked. “How about Ecuador or Bolivia?” I suggested, since Cliff and I had just hosted two teenagers as part of a WorldChicago exchange program — and the Ecuadorian left us a bag of colorful tourism brochures. I was hooked: Photos of old steam-en-

As for daily activities, we didn’t need to compromise. Scott had read up on popular attractions around Quito, and had a tentative “must-see” list. gine trains wending through the Andes Mountains and exotic birds in the cloud forest called to me. This trip was Scott’s idea, though, so I asked him to decide. After looking through the tourism materials and checking online, Scott picked Ecuador. Scott’s wife, Jane, prefers Japan and Southeast Asia, and envisioning bugs, insects and myriad wild animals, opted seniortimesmagazine.com

January 2016

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January 2016

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to stay home. Of course, their 6-year old, Jason (my grandson) wanted to go. With only six days for Ecuador (Scott had to save family vacation days), he proposed we stay in Quito, the capital, which is a UNESCO World Heritage city boasting La Compañía, a church decorated in gold leaf; Mitad del Mundo and Inti-Ñan museums on the equator; the lively Otavalo Market; El Pedrillo with its famed Virgin of Quito statue, and the restored Ecuadorian railroad. Now we had a destination. What about accommodations? Scott’s research turned up an affordable hotel in Quito’s historic center at $100 per room, but I think we each felt a little uncomfortable about a motherson room share — being in such close quarters for 6 days and 7 nights — so that meant two rooms at $100 each. A few days later, Scott called excitedly about a more affordable place on Airbnb.com: a large one-ﬂoor apartment with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, dining room, living room and roof deck looking out on El Pedrillo and the city. It sounded great, and so did the price — $70 a night or $35 each — but what was Airbnb? Rather than dampen Scott’s enthusiasm, I checked it out. Based in San Francisco, Airbnb is a newish (2008) online marketplace where people list, seek and book unique accommodations in 190 countries. The apartment in Quito’s historic Old Town, near many top museums and other visitor sites, was reportedly in a safer area than the trendy New Town area, and it was within ﬁve blocks of January 2016

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Always Ask Locals Even if you’re on a tour, enjoying free time, listen to the locals. Ask people at the front desk if it’s safe to walk around the area, and where are the places to avoid. If you’re staying independently in a hotel, motel, B&B or Airbnb, research the location of your hotel, motel, airbnb, B&B or inn. And listen to the locals!

two upscale hotels, the Presidential Palace and the Plaza Grande. What the Airbnb site, guidebooks and reviews didn’t mention was the immediate neighborhood. Early on, hotel doormen warned us, “Take a cab home after dark.” When we asked a tour bus driver to drop us off at Vargas y Esmeraldas, he muttered, “Be careful. That’s not a very good area.” Even the street corner hookers went inside after dark. The apartment itself was great — immaculate and attractive, with lots of space so Scott could call or e-mail his wife and son, I could read and e-mail Cliff and, after a long day of walking, we could head for the rooftop with a beer and take in the view. Better yet, our Airbnb host, Rolando lent us a local phone and drove us (for a fee) to and from the airport at unearthly hours. As for daily activities, we didn’t need to compromise. Scott had read up on popular attractions around Quito, and had a tentative “must-see” list. I hadn’t done much homework, but wanted to take the restored Ecuadorian railroad through the Andes, show Scott the exotic birds in the Amazon and visit the colorful Otavalo Market. Since Scott and I love serendipity, we booked just one thing in advance besides plane ﬂights and Airbnb, and that was a train ride through the volcanoes (Tren de Volcanes). Scott bought tickets for our ﬁrst day, though not recommended because Quito lies at 9,350 feet and visitors are advised to acclimate for a few days before going higher. Our train guide to El Boliche National Recreation Area (12,152 feet) also warned us about altitude and the need to stay hydrated. So Scott and I kept chugging water, seemingly OK as the train climbed. Smugly, we got off the train, drank cups of coca tea and walked

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slowly to the trailhead for a short hike with other passengers. Suddenly it hit me — I felt a bit breathless and dizzy — though I hated to admit it to my 40-year-old son. But Scott admitted it first, in a roundabout way, saying he felt a little dizzy and lightheaded, and maybe we should skip the hike. Ironically, so did most of the young tourists visiting from Quito. While traveling with Scott was out of my comfort zone, it offered a unique chance to leave the typical “mother/parent” role behind and share experiences with my son on a very different level, as another adult. And we found lots of common interests, with just a few small compromises: I don’t enjoy shopping, but joined Scott as he scoured little shops for souvenirs. And he, who teases me about birdwatching, actually enjoyed hiking in the cloud forest and looking at birds. The final night of our trip, however, provided a terrifying bonding moment we won’t soon forget — and it could have been avoided if we’d listened to Quito locals who’d warned: After dark, always take an orange, licensed taxi — even four blocks. After splurging on dinner at the Hotel Plaza Grande, we opted to walk back to our apartment despite the doorman’s advice. It’s only four blocks, Scott had said. And on three previous nights, we’d walked home in the dark from much farther. On the third block, we were jumped by three young men who, finding I had no money, tore off my jacket and took that instead. Scott’s phone was the major target, but after he threw coins at the robbers and I started screaming, they ran away. Because I was no longer in my old “mother” role, I didn’t say: “See, we should have taken a taxi.” What I did say, and heard in return, was, “Are you hurt? I love you.” And to think, we skipped Guatemala because of its crime. s

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Tinseltown Talks Betty Lynn Keeping Mayberry Alive by Nick Thomas

t’s just after noon on the third Friday of the month and 89-year-old Betty Lynn is preparing to take her seat behind a small brown table in the main room of the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, N.C. Visitors are already beginning to flood into the 2,500-square-foot building to meet the actress best known to ‘60s TV fans as Barney Fife’s girlfriend, Thelma Lou, from “The Andy Griffith Show” set in the fictional town of Mayberry. “Over 500 people come through,” Lynn said, of a typical day when she sits once a month throughout the afternoon at the museum greeting fans. They come from all over the world to meet a former cast member of the popular show and to see the large collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia, assembled by Griffith’s life-long friend Emmett Forrest (see www.andygriffithmuseum.com). In 2007, after being twice robbed in her Los Angeles home, Lynn left Hollywood for the quiet, secure life in Mount Airy, which was also Andy Griffith’s hometown. “I’d been coming here for the Mayberry Days festival for ages, so it seemed like the perfect place to settle,” she said. “Everyone has been so kind since I moved here. It didn’t take long for me to feel like a local rather than a visitor.” “The Andy Griffith Show” ran for eight seasons, throughout most of the 1960s. It won six Emmys, including five for Don Knotts. “Andy was fun and a bit of a tease off camera, while Don was sweet but very quiet and nothing like his Barney Fife character,” she said. “But that just illustrates what a good actor he was.”

January 2016

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Lynn also appeared in some 20 films and over 40 other TV shows, including many westerns. “I enjoyed westerns, but filming in the hot Californian summers wearing long dresses and petticoats was rough,” she said. “During one show, I think it was ‘Texas John Slaughter’ for ‘Disneyland,’ we sat down to lunch and these huge bugs swarmed all around us. We were told to just ignore them and eat around them.” Throughout her career, Lynn worked with some Hollywood greats. “My first film, ‘Sitting Pretty,’ and then later ‘Cheaper by the Dozen,’ were with Clifton Webb, a sweet man with a good sense of humor,” she recalled. “I also did two films with Bette Davis who got everyone to call me Boo, after one of my characters, so it wouldn’t be confusing when they called ‘Betty on the set!’ She also worked, at one time or another, with almost all the cast of “Gilligan’s Island.” “Alan Hale, Jr. was on an episode of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ and played a mountain man looking for a wife,” Lynn said. “Recently, I saw the episode again, where he picked me way up in the air twice. I laughed because I looked like a rag doll.” As she does on each of her visits to the museum, Lynn braces for a long afternoon as enthusiastic fans are already forming the meet-and-greet line. “It’s a little tiring by the end of the day, but it’s the least I can do since people may stand for hours to take a picture, get an autograph and a hug,” she said. “There’s a lot of love coming my way.” s Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 600 magazines and newspapers.

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EVENT œ SPOTLIGHT

30th Annual Hoggetowne Medieval Faire The Alachua County Fairgrounds is transformed into a bustling medieval marketplace for the 30th Annual Hoggetowne Medieval Faire on January 30 - 31 and February 5 - 7. Step back in time and cheer on jousting knights, wander through the medieval marketplace where hundreds of artisans sell their wares, partake in old world games and rides and feast on food fit for a king. Enjoy nine stages of entertainment where the forgotten skills of fullflight falconry, gripping aerial acrobatics and old-world magic come to life. Jugglers, knife throwers and gypsy dancers add to the excitement as they fill the streets of Hoggetowne. The theme for the 2016 is “The Adventures of King Arthur.” The Tournament Field will host a stunning show of combat entertainment during a living chess match as King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table battle the forces of evil. The City of Gainesville’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs invites visitors to be swept away with the medieval magic. This highly anticipated event, which will enchant the Gainesville community for two consecutive weekends, is always the talk of the town.

HOGGETOWNE MEDIEVAL FAIRE Alachua County Fairgrounds 3100 NE 39th Ave. (Next to the Gainesville Regional Airport on SR 222) Saturday and Sunday, January 30 – 31 from 10am – 6pm Friday, February 5, from 9:30am – 3pm Saturday and Sunday, February 6 – 7, from 10am – 6pm ADMISSION $17 for adults - $7 for ages 5 – 7 Friday admission is $8 for adults Free for children under 5, discounted prices for school groups. Credit cards are accepted. Tickets may be purchased at the gate. Free Parking. Tickets can be purchased via the Ticket Information page, www.

Robert A. Skidmore, Jr. MD Board Certified Dermatologist

352-371-7546

hoggetownefaire.com or from Gator Domino’s Pizza locations and at Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs: Thomas Center 306 NE 6th Avenue 3rd ﬂoor room 344.

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COLUMN œ KENDRA SILER-MARSIGLIO

Healthy Edge Are you “D-ﬁcient”?

ave hard-to-pinpoint body pains? Mood swings? Feeling blue? Brain fog? You may not be getting enough vitamin D. If your body is alerting you to low vitamin D with the above symptoms, you’re lucky. Taking a vitamin D supplement for several weeks should help your symptoms go away. Unfortunately, most people with vitamin D deficiencies don’t have any symptoms, but their “D-ficiency” still puts them at risk for health problems. Alarmingly, vitamin D deficiency has reached epidemic proportions. Only about a third of Americans are getting enough vitamin D.

WHAT DOES VITAMIN D DO? Vitamin D, the only vitamin that’s a hormone, controls calcium absorption to build strong bones, teeth, and muscle. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone calcium loss. The result: weakened bones. Low levels of vitamin D have also been linked to poor muscle strength, depression and cognitive deficits. And, insufficient vitamin D increases the risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. According to Harvard University School of Public Health, vitamin D seems to play a key role in immunity against seasonal flu, colds, some cancers, and even Type I diabetes.

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A 2015 JAMA Neurology study recently showed that Seniors with low vitamin D — regardless of race/ethnicity or beginning cognitive abilities — declined 2.5 times faster than Seniors with adequate vitamin D in two key areas of cognition: episodic memory (recollection of people, places, and events) and executive function (ability to reason, solve problems and plan).

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM D DEFICIENT? The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that most adults under 70 years old get 600 IU (International Units) of vitamin D daily; ages 70 and older should take 800 IU per day. However, researchers at UC San Diego and Creighton University are calling for this recommended to be drastically changed. They say the recommended intake of vitamin D is a factor of 10 too low. Robert Heaney, MD of Creighton University wrote in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients: “We call for the IOM and all public health authorities concerned with transmitting accurate nutritional information to the public to designate, as the RDA, a value of approximately 7,000 IU/day from all sources.” Although, the jury’s still out on how much vitamin D you need daily, your healthcare professional can help you determine what’s right for you.

HOW DO I GET MORE D? In Florida, you can get vitamin D free-of-charge; it’s not called the sunshine vitamin for nothing. Our skin cells use UV rays to synthesize vitamin D. The catch: you have to forego sunscreen when you’re boosting your body’s vitamin D production with sun exposure. Sunscreen blocks the UV rays needed for vitamin D synthesis. Luckily — contrary to what some of us were told — sunscreen-free sun exposure is not necessarily bad for you. Vitamin D expert and Director of the General Clinical Research Center at Boston University Medical Center Michael Holick, PhD, MD suggests that the sun exposure of arms and legs for short periods of time doesn’t increase the risk of serious skin cancer such as melanoma. Remember: UVB radiation (needed for D production) doesn’t penetrate glass, so admiring the sun through a window won’t amp up your vitamin D levels.

ISN’T D IN FOODS AS WELL? To up your family’s vitamin D, include these items in their diets: cheese, eggs (with yolks), or fatty fish (e.g., salmon, tuna, mackerel). The food with the most D is fatty fish. For instance, a 3.5-ounce serving of cooked salmon offers 360 IU of vitamin D. According to the American Dietetic Association, it’s hard to get enough vitamin D from food sources, so sun and a good vitamin D supplement are your best bet. For more information about vitamin D, see the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements’ vitamin D consumer health information: ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ VitaminD-Consumer/. s Kendra Siler-Marsiglio, Ph.D. is the Director of the Rural Health Partnership at WellFlorida Council.

seniortimesmagazine.com

AD VERTISEMEN T

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ould you like to lower your blood pressure and lessen the number of medications you have to take for it? Would you like the odds of becoming diabetic to be less likely? Would you like to feel less strain on your knees and ankles? These things can all be possible with weight loss. Current research shows that two thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese. Because of this many of the population have been told to lose weight. Typically, this weight loss is expected to be obtained without one-on-one education, tools, and in home support. To remedy this problem Caretenders has developed a carepath that provides you everything you need to be successful in your weight loss journey. Caretenders of Gainesville, Newberry, and Lake City is now offering the Morbid Obesity Carepath that provides support in dealing with self esteem, lifestyle changes, and nutritional education. A highly specialized team of nurses, physical therapists, and social workers is available to you to conquer your weight loss goals.

With this program and oversight from your physician we know you can be successful whether you are preparing for or recovering from bariatric surgery or simply deciding now is the time you are going to get healthy! Caretenders is committed to being senior advocates and providing a VIP approach to weight loss. We seek to provide personalized support while looking beyond the obvious to enable seniors to lose weight and improve overall health while living in their own homes as long as possible. Our nursing team is prepared to provide psychosocial support and education, while our therapy team will develop an individualized home exercise program. We believe our unique specialty team in collaboration with the patient, family, and physician can tailor an exclusive program that will provide results never thought possible in the past! If you think you or a loved one would benefit from this amazing new carepath please call Caretenders today. Our highly trained clinical staff is ready and waiting to make this the most successful weight loss journey of your life!

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TRIBUTE

Veteran Carlos Crews World War II Airman Readied Planes for D-Day, Other Major Operations Story and Photography by Michael Stone

n Ponce de Leon Avenue in Lake City, Carlos Crews lives on a mini farm, complete with donkeys, goats, geese, chickens, ducks, oranges, lemons and alligators, if you count the one that once snuck into the pond. Crews has owned the property since 1964, and family and friends now help the 95-year-old with the upkeep. In a storage building, one of Crews’ passions — cars, which he also built a career around — takes the form of a Model T and a Ford truck from the early 20th century. All this is hidden by the house’s façade and a quaint front yard that’s accented by an American flag fluttering atop a flagpole. The flag is a symbol of Crews’ sacrificing a few prime years of his life, a reminder of so many others’ sacrifices — which, for 416,800 U.S. service men and women during World War II, was life itself. “We had no choice in the matter, [but] we were proud to help,” Master Sgt. Crews said of his three years in the war, during which he helped ready C-47 troop transport planes for the D-Day invasion and to reinforce the encircled town of Bastogne. “Back in those days, I guess we were proud, not realizing what we were getting into, how dangerous. But you don’t think about those things.” Crews grew up on a farm in the rural southern Georgia city of Folkston. The fourth of eight children [two others died in infancy], he said being in the middle prepared him for the hard knocks of military service. “Momma, she did her best to raise me,” Crews said, “but the older ones got to the table before I did. … I was a runt. I was

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ly.” the runt of the whole family.” er many career skills, so he signed up for Farm life didn’t offer the New Deal-eraa National Youth Administration, which, to th unemployment, gave teenagers and those help combat youth in their early 20s skills training. n’t get very far in the NYA, for soon after But he wouldn’t signing up, while in the hospital to have his tonsils removed, o 21-year-old Crews’ room to deliver some a nurse came into shocking news. “She said the Japanese have just bombed Pearl Harbor,” red. “What’s Pearl Harbor? I don’t know what Crews remembered. Pearl Harbor is, for Pete’s sake. … I know one thing: The draft was going there, and they had drafted my brother in October [1941].” Knowing he was the “next man on the totem pole” in his gned up for the Army and family, Crews signed nd mechanic and was made a ground eventually ﬂight engineer in rces’ Ninth the Army Air Forces’ Air Force, 439th Troop 2nd Carrier Group, 92nd Squadron. (In historical photos, if a C-47 has “J8” painted on the side, which signiﬁed it was in the ssen se seniortimesmagazine.com en e nio io orrti ttim im mesm essm es ma ag gazine.com

January Ja JJan an a nuar ua ua arry 2 2016 01116 0 016 6

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On his mini farm at the southern edge of Lake City, Carlos Crews maintains a diverse mix of animals and plants, including donkeys and a few different types of oranges. (Right) A model C-47 stands in Crews’ living room.

92nd Squadron, Crews said there’s a chance he worked on that plane.) “We had to learn that airplane from tip to toe, nose to tail,” he said of C-47s, describing how his life began to revolve around the aircraft and that pictures of them bring tears to his eyes. “We had to know every function of that plane. You knew every bolt, the potential strength of that bolt.” He and his wife stayed in several different states during

“Once you commit, there’s no turning back. You’re either going to go, or you’re going to crash.” 1943 and early 1944 as he participated in training courses and exercises — plane mechanics, towing and releasing gliders, dropping paratroopers and teaching single-engine pilots how to ﬂy the twin-engine C-47. Though not privy to exact details, Crews knew such efforts were preparation for the invasion of Nazi-controlled Europe. The hours were long: Crews would work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., eat and work more until 1 a.m. And while not carried out in a warzone, the training did provide for some tense moments, like when Crews would be sitting behind new pilots who would have their side of the cockpit blacked out to teach

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them how to take off by instrument only. There was also one freezing night when he and three others ﬂew a C-47 across Nebraska and up to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. To test mechanics’ work, the engines would be cut off and restarted — but that night, one didn’t come back on. “You can land on one engine,” Crews said. “I wasn’t looking forward to it. … Talk about prayer, praying, calling on the Lord to help you. When you’re in a situation where you can’t do a thing about it, you’ve got to have help.” “Would you believe we made one of the best landings you’ve ever seen in your life? Just like that — with one engine,” he added, noting that a mechanic had installed an incorrect type of gasket. During paratrooper training, when the green light would come on indicating it was time to jump from the plane, Crews said he never saw one freeze up. “Paratroopers, man, they’re the toughest thing out there. They’d bite nails in two,” he said, noting that his brother signed up to become one only because of the position’s bonus pay. He didn’t know “he’d have to jump out of an airplane behind enemy lines, in the dark, not knowing where you’re going to land, they’re going to be shooting at you on your way down, you’re lucky if you hit the ground,” Crews said. “If you do, you’re [likely] to break your neck. “But that didn’t mean anything to him; all he knew, they drew $50 more a month pay.” In February 1944, the time ﬁnally came to get the C-47s seniortimesmagazine.com

over to England for the invasion of Europe. To cross the Atlantic, the planes were flown along the southern route: down Florida, into the Caribbean, along South America’s northeast coast, over to Africa, around Portugal and Spain, and onto England’s Balderton airfield. England provided Crews with his first real taste of war. One night, on a recreational outing to London, he found himself alone at a train station when German bombs started falling. (Though “the Blitz” of 1940 and 1941 is the most well-known German bombing campaign of England, the Luftwaffe managed to put together a final one over four months in early 1944, known as Operation Steinbock.) “Here I am, ole country boy by myself … here’s these bombs — Boom! Every one getting closer and closer to me!” Crews said, adding that he thought the train station might be the bombers’ target. He saw some lights that led underground and took cover there, and when he reemerged, an Englishman brushed the bombs off, telling him: “Oh, don’t worry, old chap. They’ll be gone.” One of last tasks to prep for D-Day for Crews and the others of the 439th was to paint white stripes on the wings and fuselage of the C-47s. The U.S. Navy shot down several friendly paratrooper planes in the invasion of Sicily in 1943, so the stripes would distinguish the C-47s from enemy aircraft. Then, on the night of June 5, 1944, at roughly 10 p.m., paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions started boarding C-47s to be dropped behind enemy lines in Norman-

dy, France. Crews said he certified 10 to 12 C-47s as ready to fly that night and was there as hundreds of planes took off one at a time, assembled in the air and flew to France in groups. “Once you commit, there’s no turning back. You’re either going to go, or you’re going to crash,” he said, describing the invading troops’ faces as “serious, mad, solemn, business.” “They’re putting their life on the line,” he added. “Do you understand that?” The 13,100 paratroopers started to land shortly after midnight, but many were scattered away from their intended drop zones. “We got criticized for that: They claim we scattered them,” Crews said. “Well, they were. [The] Germans said that was a good thing, but for us, it looked like a lot bigger invasion than it actually was.” When the planes returned, Crews helped fit them with gliders carrying troops, guns, jeeps and other supplies to also be dropped into France. Combined, the 82nd and 101st incurred roughly 2,500 casualties in the invasion, with about 1,500 of those killed or captured by the Germans, according to historian Joseph Balkoski’s book Utah Beach. Almost one-third of the 1,134 C-47s that participated in the troop and glider drops were shot down or severely damaged, with 128 plane and glider crew members killed, the book says. The overall D-Day invasion on June 6 cost 3,450 American soldiers, sailors and air crew members. January 2016

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Three of Crews’ World War II medals — the French Legion of Honor, a D-Day commemorative medal and U.S. Army Air Forces wings — lie on his bedroom desk. (Above) Crews during his military service.

Throughout the war in Europe, Crews helped prepare C-47s for other notable events: the failed Operation Market Garden, which dropped American and British troops behind Nazi lines at the Dutch-German border; supply drops to the 101st Airborne troops encircled at Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge; and the troop drops in southern France from planes taking off from central Italy as part of Operation Dragoon, which is often overshadowed by the D-Day invasion of northern France, Operation Overlord. After Dragoon, Crews rode as a passenger on a C-47 to get back to England. It’s a “good thing I was on that airplane,” he said. Over the Mediterranean, maybe 3,000 feet over the water, Crews was sleeping in the back but awoke when both engines shut off. The pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer apparently weren’t paying attention and let the fuel run out. So the plane would dive down, but the autopilot would send it back up, like hills and valleys. Crews instantly identified what was wrong and grabbed an extra fuel tank to put in the plane. “We were out of fuel. I knew that. … The pilot had no idea what was happening,” he said, adding that the crew might have otherwise ditched the plane in the sea. “Would you believe by the grace of God those engines picked up because I put more fuel, I changed the gas tanks.” Crews has a single memory of Germany’s surrender in May 1945: being told, while stationed in France, that he was selected for service in the Pacific. “My group,” Crews said, “of all people, were called out, assembled, the whole 92nd Squadron. ‘This group has been selected to go direct to the Pacific from Europe.’ I said, ‘You say what?’ ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘I know who’s not going. I’m not going.’”

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Crews explained that his points from successful combat missions, total time in the service and rank of master sergeant meant he could ﬁgure a way out. And he did: transfer from the 439th to the 440th, which was headed back to The States. He eventually made it to Hilliard, Florida, where his wife awaited him, and got a job in Jacksonville with NAPA auto parts, starting with labor work at a distribution center but, over decades, working his way up to regional positions. “I wanted to work, and I wanted to work hard,” he said. “I did. I’d work day and night if they’d let me. … I don’t care what kind of job you’re doing: If I work with you long enough, I’ll steal yours.” He and his wife had three children, and she passed away in 1975. He remarried in 1976 and became stepfather to four more children. He now has seven grandchildren and at least six great-grandchildren. “He grew up in a time that I think we’ve gone way away from, when everybody had a duty to the country, and that’s how his generation was,” stepson Charles Roberts said, calling Crews not only his stepfather but also his mentor. “They call it the Greatest Generation for a reason. Many of these were boys that went off to war and came back men.” Crews is a member of the D-Day Normandy Veterans of North Central Florida, a group of area veterans who get together once a month for lunch at Conestogas Restaurant in Alachua. As he looked over a group photo on his kitchen table, Crews pointed to each member, men of World War II, in their late 80s and 90s, naming them as he went from face to face. “It’s just like a family reunion, every month we get together,” he said. “We respect each other, and we like — I’ll tear up if I don’t shut up.” s seniortimesmagazine.com

COLUMN œ DONNA BONNELL

Embracing Life Greeting Cards

ctress Emily Procter’s quote grabbed my attention: “I squirrel away sealed greeting cards that people give me so I can open them later when I’m having a bad day.” How Proctor can stand to leave a card unopened is beyond my comprehension. Enclosed may be an urgent message or a pleasant surprise. However, like the actress, I save cards (with special meanings). Physically holding and rereading tangible notes restores my memory of events nearly forgotten. The journey provides a sentimental fix when I am missing family and friends who are separated by death or distance. Two decades’ worth of those stored gems surfaced magically (maybe) when I needed a dose of healing love. The year 2015 was difficult, but filled with personal and spiritual growth. On a quiet enigmatic evening I pondered its purpose and began looking forward to 2016 for a fresh start. While in a seemingly serene state, I suddenly experienced a strange combination of sentiments. The strong emotional dam I worked hard to build was about to burst and flood my soul with grief. At the same time, there was an uncanny, almost

angelic energy force stopping the surge. Waves of optimistic thoughts pushed back the somber ones. It felt as though a powerful invisible wedge was propping me up. Frustrated for not understanding my frame of mind, I began taking down, packing and storing holiday decorations. As I attempted to slide one of the storage containers in place, I pushed against an unidentified box nestled in the far top dark corner of the closet. The heavy container of Santa and snowmen ceramics (balanced over my head), bounced back and landed on my forehead and scalp. Tears streamed down my face; my heart ached; my head hurt. Just as I was ready to surrender and simply drop the heavy overstuffed carton of Christmas memorabilia, somehow I got a grip. Miraculously, I managed to save my collection of treasures from crashing to the floor and shattering. In that instant, I regrouped and stopped for a second to say a prayer of gratitude. Ironically, almost instantly, my inexplicable raw emotions were under control. My mission quickly turned to determining the contents of the mysterious crate. This time I got my stepstool and flashlight and safely retrieved the item

in question. I hit the emotional jackpot! Enclosed were birthday, mother’s day and thank you cards. Even a few apology notes and congratulatory greeting cards were amongst the mix. I sat for hours on the floor reading handwritten messages, reminiscing and remembering those special people who made me the person I am today. Perhaps because I am a writer those gifts mean more to me than the average person. That may be true today, but greeting cards have been around for centuries. The custom can be traced back to the ancient Chinese and to the early Egyptians, who conveyed their greetings on papyrus scrolls. The first Christmas cards were crafted in London in 1843 and rarely included winter or religious themes. Flowers, fairies and sentimental images of children and animals were popular. In America, a German immigrant, Louis Prang, started a small lithographic business near Boston in 1856. His firm began selling Christmas cards in America in 1874. Prang is known as the Father of the American Christmas card. I am grateful Prang created my favorite tradition of the holiday season. It is an opportunity to update those we know with the year’s family events. Nowadays, it might be the only time we hear from distant folks. In my treasure chest was the last Christmas card I received from my nephew, Shane. Regular readers know that my 35-year-old nephew took his own life in 2015. Shane’s message was, “Thank you for all you have done for me. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Love, Shane.” Coincidence? Or, a sign from Shane to embrace life in 2016? s Donna Bonnell is a freelance writer who moved to Newberry in 1983. She enjoys living and working in the town she now calls home. dbnewberry@aol.com

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Cynthia Wonders Winterrowd ’s

RECIPE WONDERS FOOD ST Y LING & PHOTOGR A PH Y BY ERICK A WINTER ROWD

R E SO

ere we are with the Holidays in our rearview mirror! How did this happen? Seems like it was just Halloween, and boom, now we are in January. If you are like me, when you look at your “rear” in the mirror you may ﬁnd a few added pounds from all that delicious holiday eating. There was a lot of celebrating going on the past few months, but now it is time to make a fresh start. When we arrive at the New Year our thoughts generally turn to getting back to a healthy eating routine. This is the number one New Year’s Resolution on nearly everyone’s list. The ticket to getting back on track: lots of veggies, making healthy choices and some exercise.

L U T I O N R EC I P E S

(Check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.) Looking into my mother’s handwritten cookbooks, I came across a tried and true recipe for cabbage soup. This was her go-to recipe to trim down when a special event was coming up, or to lose those post-holiday pounds. This is not to be confused with a “cabbage soup diet” although those are easily found on the Internet. This is just a healthful, hearty soup that you can substitute for your lunchtime meal. According to bembu.com, cabbage is a nutritious food that is a natural diuretic. It is thought to be helpful in preventing cancer and can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Because this soup is made

with lots of vegetables, you are free to eat as much as you want, without worries of overindulging. Simply substitute the soup for one or two meals each day, combined with moderate exercise and healthy choices for your other meals. Be sure to only drink water, tea, black coffee or unsweetened fruit juices. Alcohol should be avoided, as well as carbonated beverages. You should think of this as a “cleanse” that will ﬂush your system of impurities and give you an overall feeling of healthiness. Combining this vegetable soup with sensible eating on your other meals is the perfect way to kick-start 2016! An example of healthy meals would be lean beef with

Cynthia Wonders Winterrowd is an award-winning writer who was raised in Illinois and lives in Gainesville. She is proud to be a “Gator Mom” of three daughters, all UF graduates. Cynthia loves sharing family recipes that have been passed down in her mother’s handwritten cookbooks. recipewonders@gmail.com

January 2016

seniortimesmagazine.com

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tomatoes, brown rice or broiled skinless chicken, a baked potato (no butter or sour cream) with fresh green leafy vegetables. Be sure to drink 6 – 8 glasses of water daily. Be advised that you eat the soup for no more than seven days, and then eat normally making healthy choices for another week. At that time you may resume eating the soup for another week. But remember, this soup is not meant to be eaten solely for an indeﬁnite period of time. It is meant to be a healthy part of a balanced diet. Also, when you are feeling the urge for a crunchy snack, why not try some baked kale chips? They are so much healthier for you than reaching for a bag of potato chips. Treat yourself to weekly trips to local farmers markets for the freshest organic veggies. Vegetables are delicious once you begin to incorporate them into your regular diet. Small changes will result in huge results, once they become a part of your daily routine. This is one New Year’s Resolution you will ﬁnd easy to keep! s

CABBAGE SOUP You may season with salt, pepper, garlic, etc. and you may add bouillon, if desired. I like to add some carrots for color.

INGREDIENTS: 3 large green onions 1 green pepper 1 large can of tomatoes 1/2 large head of cabbage 1/2 bunch of celery 1 package of onion soup mix * 1/2 lb. ground turkey or turkey sausage, sautéed in skillet – optional METHOD: Cut the vegetables into small pieces, cover with water. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender when tested with a fork. The longer the soup simmers, the better the ﬂavors

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blend. You can double the recipe if you are cooking this soup for your family as well as yourself, and it can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. To make a heartier soup, you can add ground turkey that has been sautéed in a skillet separately and seasoned with salt and pepper. Add to the soup while it is simmering on the stove so that the ﬂavors will be absorbed in the meat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

KALE CHIPS Great for a snack instead of potato chips, or add to the top of your bowl of soup for a satisfying crunch!

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 bunch of kale, washed and dried thoroughly 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil 1/4 tsp. sea salt and any other seasonings you would like to try, such as garlic, chili or onion powder METHOD: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Remove the leaves from the stems of the kale and tear it into large pieces. Place the kale into a bowl and rub the oil into the leaves. Be sure the leaves are completely covered with the oil. At this point add the salt and any other seasonings you may want to try. Spread the kale on a large cooking sheet, covered with parchment paper. Spread the kale out so that the leaves are not overlapping each other. Bake 10 minutes, then remove from oven and use a spatula to turn the leaves over. Bake another 10 - 15 minutes and they are done. Enjoy this healthy and nutritious snack right from the bowl or top off your soup with a healthy alternative to crackers. You can double this recipe or save the other half of the kale to make a smoothie! So there you have it, a quick and easy start to a healthy New Year! Bon appétit! s seniortimesmagazine.com

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GREEN MACHINE

Healthy Tips 10 Ways to Eat More Veggies!

by Ericka Winterrowd

hether you’re trying to lose weight or just maintain a healthy lifestyle, it’s important to include a variety of vegetables in meal planning. Medical studies have proven that the health benefits of eating vegetables are many and include reducing the risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and certain cancers, such as mouth, stomach and colon cancer. According to a CNN article on the surprising benefits of eating vegetables, many veggies are 85 – 95 percent water, which helps hydrate the skin and reduce wrinkles. Phytonutrients, found in all vegetables, can guard against premature aging by preventing cell damage from stress, the sun, pollution and other environmental toxins. Vitamin C aids in collagen formation, according to public health studies. Most people think of dairy foods as the bone protectors, thanks to their high calcium and vitamin D content. But some vegetables also have these same nutrients in addition to bonebuilding vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and prebiotic fiber. It can seem quite challenging to include a sufficient amount of these tasty and beneficial food groups to menus. However, these tips from TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, offer some creative ways to make sure you’re getting healthful veggies into your diet. 1) Make a pasta dish with spaghetti squash instead of noodles. Once cooked, the yellow squash will separate into long strands that you can top with marinara sauce and twirl around your fork. The noodles are tender and chewy, but a bit fragile. The texture is a lot like angel hair pasta.

January 2016

2) Puree cooked vegetables and add them to stews, gravies, and soups. You’ll be surprised at how a few colorful vegetables can add delicious taste to your broths. 3) Add raw spinach leaves and an extra-ripe banana to a fruit smoothie. It may sound strange, but the sweetness of the banana masks the taste of the spinach. Be aware that spinach will affect the color of the smoothie, but it is oh, so healthful for you. 4) Add chopped zucchini to casseroles or meat loaf. Zucchini is often an overlooked vegetable in the kitchen. Show this bright-yellow veggie some love; it’s a great source of dietary fiber. 5) Baking? Add shredded carrots to muffins or bread. It’s a perfect way to sneak in some good vitamins to your morning meal. 6) Instead of cheese and meat, pile your omelet with onions, mushrooms and red and green peppers. Chop vegetables the night before to save time in the morning. 7) Try mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Experiment with different flavorings such as garlic, a little butter and Parmesan cheese. 8) Salsa! Add salsa to a breakfast burrito, pile it on a veggie burger or use it in place of high-fat vegetable dips. 9) Add chopped spinach to meat when preparing meatballs or hamburgers. 10) Puree pasta sauce with vegetables such as winter squash or chopped broccoli. Hopefully you will find these tips both helpful and healthful to your next meal. Here’s to staying nutritious and delicious! s seniortimesmagazine.com

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READER SUBMITTED œ TOM SHERIDAN

Community Voice

Tom Sheridan is a retired newspaper writer and editor living (and playing softball) in Ocala FL.

Connecting Softball-Playing Seniors to Their Youth

s there a boy born in the 1940s, ’50s or even the ’60s who didn’t eat, sleep and breathe baseball? Or keep a stash of baseball cards under his bed? And who, when not actually playing the game, traded and flipped for those colorful pieces of cardboard with the faces of his heroes? For those of us who lived it, baseball was more than sport. Baseball was life. I was one of those kids. Summer in northern New Jersey meant baseball, and lots of it. Every day, we’d bike, walk or run to the ballfield. Baseball purists might have called it sandlot ball. But there was precious little sand in the rocky dirt of northern New Jersey. The infield was dotted with pebbles and the outfield grass was spotty and rarely mowed. We just knew it as The Field, and it was ours. By ours, I mean us kids — 8, 9, 10, 11 years old. After a rushed breakfast, off we’d go, heading to The Field about four long blocks from my house. Gloves were threaded onto bike handlebars; bats carried a little more awkwardly. Bat bags? I don’t think they’d been invented yet. Even if they existed, we certainly couldn’t afford them. The days began early and ended late. We’d dash home at noon for a quick PB&J sandwich, a glass of milk, and it was back to The Field. We trickled home when we could no longer see to catch the ball. Home was just a place to get the day’s dirt and dust washed off, get scrapes and cuts tended, get refueled so we could begin again the next day. Evening meant checking on the daily doings of those heroes — Mantle, Mays, Snider and all the rest. And checking for the baseball cards we had, or didn’t have but lusted after. Twilight meant trading those cards or, even better, winning them

January 2016

from our friends, flipping for them on the sidewalk beneath the streetlight. Then came sleep, and dreams about what we would do better the next day. Life has a way of coming full circle. When I was 10, summertime went like this: get up, inhale a quick breakfast, hop on my bike and pedal the few blocks to the ballfield. Decades have flown by. I’m 72. You know what? Several days a week I get up, inhale a quick breakfast, hop and my bike and pedal the few blocks to the ballfield. Yes, Senior softball is a great sport. It’s played everywhere there are old guys (and gals). In Florida where I live and in other sunshiny parts of the country, Senior softball is an year-round sport. Leagues typically play fall-winter-spring. Summertime is for practice, generally in the morning before the sun becomes blazing hot. In many areas, leagues are built around teams formed from local active-adult communities, parks districts or just from Seniors in the area. And yes, there are even baseball cards. Your mother probably threw yours away. Mine too. While today’s softball-playing Seniors no longer collect baseball cards featuring their heroes, some have gone a step further: they are now their own heroes — with their own baseball cards. When I returned to playing ball as a senior citizen, I remembered what baseball cards meant to us kids. So using some of the skills from my journalism career I created cards for my geezer teammates as a team-building experience. Since then I’ve made cards for many other players, effectively connecting the twin phases of our ball-playing lives — as kids and now as senior citizens, and even for other sports. Playing softball as a senior citizen is great fun; your picture on a baseball card, amazing. s seniortimesmagazine.com

CH A RIT Y OF THE MONTH WINNER S OCTOBER and NOVEMBER 2015 TO NOMINATE A CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE OR TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE NOMINEES, VISIT:

www.facebook.com/SunStateFCU and click on “Charity of the Month”

OCTOBER WINNER - 2,850 VOTES

NOVEMBER WINNER - 1,892 VOTES

Claws for a Cure

Guardian Foundation

The October Charity of the Month $1,000 winner is Claws for a Cure for Children’s Miracle Network. Claws for a Cure consists of two Buchholz Bobcats who are on a mission to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network. The money they raise goes toward research for cures and updating the facilities. For the 2015-16 school year, this will also be their DECA project that they will take to CDC (Statewide competition/Career Development Conference) and hopefully the ICDC (International competition/International Career Development Conference). DECA website: www.deca.org/about/. Other winners: Mallory Dale will receive $300 for nominating them. The $500 random charity winner is Gainesville Harmony Show Chorus and the $100 random voter winner is Nate Wood.

The November Charity of the Month winner is a national foundation known as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). The $1,000 will be donated to the local CASA sector, which is called the Guardian Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 not for proﬁt corporation established in 1993 to support the work of the Guardian ad Litem Program in the 8th Judicial Circuit. The Foundation provides resources not available through state funding to help normalize the lives of abused, neglected and/or abandoned children by offering the same opportunities afforded children outside the dependency system. Soﬁa McGraw will receive $300 for nominating them. The winner of the $500 random drawing is BACK Fighting Cancer, Inc. and the $100 random voter winner is Tonya C. Townsend.

Prizes provided by a partnership between Sunstate Federal Credit Union and Tower Publications, Inc.

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CALENDAR UPCOMING EVENTS IN ALACHUA & MARION TIOGA MONDAY MARKET Mondays 4:00pm - 7:00pm JONESVILLE - Tioga Center, 13005 W. Newberry Rd. Market features a selection of vegetables, crafts, organic food, fruits and local specialties.

DANCE FOR LIFELONG HEALTH: FOR ALL

GAINESVILLE HARMONY SHOW CHORUS Thursdays 7:00pm – 9:30pm GAINESVILLE - Grace Presbyterian Church, 3146 NW 13th St. For all who are interested in learning and singing Women’s A Cappella Barbershop Harmony Music. For information call Beckie at 352-318-1281.

Tuesdays

LADY GAMERS

11:30am - 12:30pm GAINESVILLE - Alachua County Senior Recreation Center, 5701 N.W. 34th St. Free weekly dance classes that focus on fun, fitness, creativity and community and use easy dance techniques from jazz, modern and various national styles that contribute to experiencing the joy of motion. Facilitated by Rusti Brandman. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. 352-733-0880.

Fridays

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION Wednesdays 11:00am - 1:00pm GAINESVILLE - Wesley United Methodist Church, 826 NW 23rd Ave. Gainesville Chapter of the DAR meet on the second Wednesday of each month, October through May. gainesvilleDAR@gmail.com.

GENEALOGY HELP CENTER Wednesdays 12:30pm – 3:30pm OCALA - Headquarters-Ocala Public Library, 2720 East Silver Springs Blvd. Finding your roots? Let the genealogy gurus from the Marion County Genealogical Society assist with your search.

1:00pm HIGH SPRINGS - New Century Woman’s Club, 40 NW 1st Ave. The Lady Gamers meet for fun, friendship and food. Everyone is invited. Meet old friends and make some new ones.

RANGER-LED WALK Saturdays 10:00am GAINESVILLE - Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park, 4732 Millhopper Rd. Guided walks leave from the visitor center every Saturday at 10 am sharp. Visitors who dare to join the adventure have the opportunity to learn about the history and surrounding nature.

BELLY DANCE WITH LEELA

Thursdays 4:00pm - 5:00pm GAINESVILLE - Alachua County Senior Recreation Center, 5701 N.W. 34th St. This workshop provides mature dancers with an opportunity to continue their practice in an adult-friendly environment. Rusti Brandman facilitates the classes with input from participants welcomed. The classes will focus on fun, fitness, creativity and community, and goals important to the group. Wear comfortable clothing. Flexible shoes or stockings or bare feet are suggested. 352-733-0880.

January 2016

MASTER GARDENER’S PLANT CLINIC Friday, January 8 10:00am - 1:00pm DUNNELLON - Public Library, 20351 Robinson Rd. Bring your plants and questions for diagnosis by the experts. library.marioncountyfl.org.

TOUR DE FELASCO Saturday, January 9 8:30am ALACHUA - San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, 13201 Progress Blvd. The 14th Annual Tour de Felasco is a 50-mile mountain bike ecotour that gives the participants, for one day, access to some of the most scenic views of nature that North Central Florida has to offer. www.sanfelasco.net.

FOOD TRUCK-N-FLICK NIGHT Saturday, January 9 5:00pm Leesburg - Downtown. “Cruise In-Classic Cars” line up on Main Street and the Gourmet Food Trucks assemble around the Square offering gourmet fare and culinary wonders. Live Music and a blockbuster movie on a 24-foot outdoor movie screen beginning around dusk. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. Info: foodtrucknflick.leesburgpartnership. com; Facebook.com/LeesburgEvents.

Thursdays 6:00pm - 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Market Street Pub & Cabaret, 112 SW 1st Ave. Join Leela Corman for an 8-week intro to belly dance series in a beautiful vintage space. No previous experience necessary. Thursdays, January 7 - February 25. bellydancewithleela.com.

FARMSTEAD WEEKEND Saturdays and Sundays

ENCORE DANCERS WORKSHOP

bamboo is February 29th. Orders may be phoned in to 352-372-4981. Payment required when orders are placed. kanapaha.org/bamboo-sale.

9:00am – 3:00pm CITRA - Crones’ Cradle Conserve, 6411 Northeast 217th Pl. Learn about naturally and carefully grown foods which nourishes and energizes you and your family. The farm store carries fresh picked vegetables, jams, jellies, honey, pickles and other items grown and prepared on the farm.

BAMBOO SALE January Thru February 22 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. The last day for placing orders is February 22nd and the last day for picking up

COLLECTORS DAY Saturday, January 9 10:00am GAINESVILLE - Florida Museum of Natural History, 3215 Hull Rd. Enjoy viewing personal collections and learning the history and context of these treasures, from Titanic and Beatles memorabilia to classic cars. Visit with the collectors and discover that collecting isn’t just for scientists. 352-273-2061.

KIDS DAY Saturday, January 9 10:00am NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Rd. Fun for children and adults alike. Hands-on demonstrations, crafts, old-fashioned games and even some education. Learn about history and a farming way of life. Depending on weather, it will be either in the Visitor Center or on the back porch of the farmhouse. Info: Sandra Cashes at 352-472-1142.

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ASK YOUR MASTER GARDENER Saturday, January 9 11:00am REDDICK - Public Library, 15150 NW Gainesville Rd. Learn gardening tips from the masters. library.marioncountyfl.org. 352-438-2566.

THE BRONX WANDERERS Saturday, January 9 6:00pm OCALA - Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 Southwest 80th St. The Bronx Wanderers will play a 90-minute show that is one part oldies and two parts rock ‘n’ roll. Resident tickets cost $18-$20; non-residents cost $20-$22. thebronxwanderers.com. 352-854-3670.

TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Saturday, January 9 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Rd. Founded in 1922, the Orchestra is one of Canada’s leading cultural institutions. Under the leadership of Music Director Peter Oundjian, the Orchestra has increased recording and touring projects to include a self-produced record label, and performances throughout the United States and Canada. 352-392-2787. performingarts.ufl.edu.

CAMELLIA SHOW January 9 – 10 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. This two-day event features prize-winning camellias of all sizes, shapes and colors. There will be judged exhibits of japonicas, reticulatas, hybrids and species. Hours: January 9 from 1 pm to 5 pm and January 10 from 9 am to 5 pm. Cost: regular admission price for non-members. Info: Gainesville Camellia Society - www.americancamellias.org.

HOW TO WRITE A TRAVEL NARRATIVE Sunday, January 10 2:30pm GAINESVILLE - Millhopper Branch Library, 3145 NW 43rd St. Fiona Lama, adjunct English teacher at Santa Fe College will discuss the elements that make travel narratives different from other nonfiction essays. Following her presentation, the audience will be given the opportunity to draft the beginning of their own travel narrative to receive feedback. Writers may bring in a previously written narrative for review and advice. Free.

Birding Tour Saturday, Jan. 2

9:00am

NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Rd. Birding Tour with Ron Robison with a kids photographic hike with a Ranger. Learn basic photography. Admission: $5.00 per car up to eight occupants. 352-472-1142 www.friendsofdudleyfarm.org

DISASTER EDUCATION: ACT LOCALLY, THINK GLOBALLY Thursday, January 14 2:30pm – 4:00pm GAINESVILLE - Senior Recreation Center, 5701 NW 34th Blvd. Presented by PrimeTime Institute. Kevin Denney, Disaster Program Specialist with the American Red Cross of North Central Florida will go over how just one person can make positive impacts and how the Red Cross is a catalyst for those small steps around the world, in the U.S., in neighborhoods, and even in our homes.

VOCALOSITY Friday, January 15 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Rd. Vocalosity: The Aca-Perfect Concert Experience World Premiere is a fast-paced production featuring 12 dynamic voices singing some

of today’s chart-topping hits in brand-new arrangements. No genre of music is off limits, from 10th century Gregorian chant and classic choral, to barber shop quartet and bouncing doowop all the way to The Beatles and Bruno Mars. $50 - $15. 352-392-2787. performingarts.ufl.edu.

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARADE Saturday, January 16 11:00am Leesburg - Main Street. A multicultural parade/ march of walkers, floats, cars, motorcycles, bands, choirs, armed services, animals, etc. will commemorate Dr. King’s memory and teachings. This parade/march is open to people of all creeds, races and nationalities to reinforce the concepts and values of economic justice, peace and respect for all cultures. Chris Hamilton: 352-365-3592.

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BAMBOO WORKSHOP Saturday, January 23 1:30pm - 3:30pm GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. An introduction to Kanapaha’s bamboo collection and information on the cultivation, propagation and landscape utilization of bamboo species in North Florida. Regular admission price for non-members. Workshop admission also includes admission into the gardens. kanapaha.org/bamboo-sale.

ELECTRO AERIAL SHOW Saturday, January 23 8:00pm - 12:00am GAINESVILLE - Market Street Pub & Cabaret, 112 SW 1st Ave. Show featuring aerial bartending by AscenDance acrobats to live music. $5 at the door.

GREEK FESTIVAL Saturday, January 23

Hoggetowne Medieval Faire January 30 – 31 & February 5 – 7 GAINESVILLE - Alachua County Fairgrounds, 2900 NE 39th Ave. The fairgrounds will transform into a medieval marketplace. Dancers and singers in medieval garb captivate crowds, while hundreds of artisans sell jewelry, hand-blown glassware, woodcarvings and medieval clothing. $17 for adults and $7 for ages 5–17. Friday admission is $8 for adults, $3.50 for ages 5-17. Free for children under 5. Free parking. Credit cards are accepted. Tickets may be purchased at the gate. www. hoggetownefaire.com.

MARATHON, HALF MARATHON AND 5K RUN

Swift Towers & Botanical Garden for the Art Park. Tickets: $30.00 online: www.ocalasymphony.com.

January 16 - 17 6:00am – 1:30pm OCALA - The Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Rd. This event begins and ends on the east side of the mall in the Sears parking lot. Contact Stefanie Gardina at 352-6372475. Register online at Ocalamarathon. com. Prices increase as event draws near.

BIG YEAR FOR THE ART PARK & BIRDS Tuesday, January 19 6:00pm - 8:00pm OCALA - Reilly Center for the Arts, Tuscawilla Park. Presented by Marion Audubon Society and Pioneer Garden Club, this event includes cash bar and hors d’oeuvres by Blue Highway Pizzeria of Ocala. Greg Miller, Bird Consultant for the movie “The Big Year” will share his adventures. Birds of Tuscawilla Park - photography display for silent Auction & Interpretive Floral Designs to inspire the creative mind. Proceeds will build Chimney

January 2016

WALKING WITH AN AGING NERVOUS SYSTEM

11:00am – 8:00pm BELLEVIEW - St. Mark’s Greek Orthodox Church of Ocala/Belleview, 9926 SE 36th Ave. Three fun-filled days of all things Greek including food, music and dance. World bazaar, clowns, live music and free hourly door prizes. 352-361-5092. Greekfestivalocala.com.

FOURTH SATURDAY TOURS Saturday, January 23 10:00am. NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Rd. Take a walk with a ranger or volunteer docent around the farmstead. Learn about the pioneer family and this historic farm. Each fourth Saturday, October - May. $5.00 per car up to 8 occupants. 352-472-1142; www.friendsofdudleyfarm.org.

Thursday, January 21

ATTACCA QUARTET

2:30pm – 4:00pm GAINESVILLE - Senior Recreation Center, 5701 NW 34th Blvd. Presented by PrimeTime Institute. David Clark, ScD, Asst. Professor in the UF College of Medicine & VA Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, will talk about his studies of age-related impairment in the communication between the nervous system and the muscles. This is a presentation of the UF Institute on Aging.

Sunday, January 24

ORCHESTRA FIREWORKS

Thursday, January 28

Friday, January 22

2:30pm – 4:00pm GAINESVILLE - Senior Recreation Center, 5701 NW 34th Blvd. Presented by PrimeTime Institute. Justin Knowles, Doctor of Pharmacy, will offer a Pharmacist’s perspective on the challenges Seniors face with their medications and their Medicare D insurance.

7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Santa Fe Fine Arts Hall, 3000 NW 83rd St E-127. The Gainesville Orchestra rings in the New Year with a musical spectacular of beloved masterpieces.

2:00pm GAINESVILLE - University Auditorium, 333 Newell Dr. This internationally acclaimed Quartet has become one of America’s premier young performing ensembles. $35- $10. 352392-2787 or visit performingarts.ufl.edu.

SAFELY MANAGING MEDICATIONS

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ARTWALK GAINESVILLE Friday, January 29 7:00pm – 10:00pm GAINESVILLE - Downtown, various venues. Artwalk is a free monthly self-guided tour that combines exciting visual art, live performance and events. Many local galleries, eateries and businesses participate. www.artwalkgainesville.com.

DINNER AND MATINEE THEATRE January 30 – 31 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Gainesville Woman’s Club, 2809 West University Ave. Get out your cocktail dress or dinner jacket for the Club’s Laughs Takes a Holiday, an original radio show set on a cruise ship sailing to Cuba in 1956. The play, written by Norman Gilliland and directed by Betty Attie, features the University of Florida Jazz Band. Doors open at 6:15 pm on Saturday with dinner at 7:00, the play and a silent auction. Doors open on Sunday at 12:15 pm with lunch at 1:00 pm followed by the Matinee. Proceeds go for creating kid-friendly learningscape spaces throughout the Duval Elementary campus. Dinner - $85.00; Matinee - $35.00; 352376-3901 or gfwcfl-gainesvillewomansclub.org.

INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT Friday, February 5 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - University Auditorium, 333 Newell Dr. The longest-running “mobile guitar festival” in North America — highlighting the diversity of the acoustic guitar around the world. The 2016 troupe features IGN founder Brian Gore along with two of Germany’s leading Gypsy Jazz masters, Lulo Reinhardt (Django’s grand-nephew) and Andre Krengel, and steel string guitarist Mike Dawes. 352-392-2787.

ARTWALK OCALA Friday, February 5 7:00pm – 10:00pm OCALA - Downtown Ocala and Citizens’ Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave. Various artists will have stations and work on arts and crafts throughout the Central Business District with performances on the Downtown Square. Info: Melissa J. Townsend at 352-629-8447.

352-373-9178 (fax) or email: events@towerpublications.com

Disney’s Beauty and The Beast Tuesday, January 26

7:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Rd. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, this eye-popping musical has won the hearts of more than 35 million people worldwide. $65 to $20. 352-392-2787; performingarts.ufl.edu.

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January 2016

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THEATRE

been battling manic depression for 16 years. Next To Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart.

Acrosstown Repertory Theatre.....................619 S. Main Street, Gainesville Curtis M. Phillips Center ........................................... 315 Hull Road, Gainesville Fine Arts Hall Theatre - SFC ........................... 3000 NW 83rd St., Gainesville Gainesville Community Playhouse ....... 4039 N.W. 16th Blvd., Gainesville Hippodrome State Theatre................................. 25 SE 2nd Place, Gainesville UF Constans Theatre ................................................. Museum Road, Gainesville Nadine McGuire Blackbox Theatre ................... Museum Road, Gainesville Actors’ Warehouse .............................................. 608 N. Main Street, Gainesville Ocala Civic Theatre ..................................4337 East Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala High Springs Playhouse ................................ 130 NE 1st Avenue, High Springs

OCALA CIVIC THEATRE

ACROSSTOWN REPERTORY THEATRE

Hometown Knights January 15 - 31 Hometown Knights is a comedic new twist on Aristophanes’ classic, The Knights. Two assistants, sick and tired of their boss taking credit for their work, ﬁnd someone to challenge him. But will it work out as they hope?

ACTORS’ WAREHOUSE

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof January 22 - February 7 A family celebrates the 65th birthday of Big Daddy, as they sentimentally dub him. The news that Big Daddy is dying slowly makes the rounds. Maggie (Big Daddy’s daughter-in-law) wants to give him the news that she’s ﬁnally become pregnant by Big Daddy’s favorite son, Brick — who stays in a mild alcoholic haze the entire length of his visit. By evening’s end, Maggie’s ingenuity, fortitude and passion will set things right.

PHILLIPS CENTER

42nd Street January 19 The quintessential backstage musical comedy classic, 42nd Street is the song and dance fable of Broadway with an

352-371-1234 352-392-ARTS 352-395-4181 352-376-4949 352-375-4477 352-273-0526 352-392-1653 352-222-3699 352-236-2274 386-454-3525

American Dream story that includes songs such as We’re In The Money, Lullaby of Broadway, Shuffle Off To Buffalo, Dames, I Only Have Eyes For You and of course 42nd Street. This is the story of a starry-eyed young dancer named Peggy Sawyer who leaves her Allentown home and comes to New York to audition for the new Broadway musical Pretty Lady. When the star breaks her ankle, Peggy takes over and becomes a star.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast January 26 Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to Gainesville! This classic musical love story is ﬁlled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers including “Be Our Guest.”

GAINESVILLE COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE

Next to Normal January 29- February 21 Next To Normal is an unﬂinching look at how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness. Dad’s an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wisecracking teens, appearing to be a typical American family. And yet their lives are anything but normal, because the mother has

How I Learned to Drive January 14 – 24 In rural 1960s Maryland, Li’l Bit is an outsider in her dysfunctional family. She feels an odd sense of kinship with Uncle Peck, who seems like a charming Southern gentleman – until he turns predatory and molests his young niece during the ﬁrst of many “driving lessons” in his Buick Riviera. This play tells the story of a woman who ﬁnds the courage to tell her secrets and take the wheel again, relearning the rules of the road along the way. This play contains strong adult themes and language that may not be suitable for all audiences.

HIGH SPRINGS COMMUNITY THEATRE

Blind Intuition January 29 - February 21 Written by Suzanne Richardson, creator of last season’s popular “Broadway Music Madness,” this romantic comedy shows that little things can make a big difference. Sean Davidson learns this the hard way in this light-hearted comedy of a man hitting rock bottom, and ﬁnding himself on the way back up with a little help from friends.

HIPPODROME STATE THEATRE

Collected Stories January 6 – 31 A riveting and emotionally charged exploration of the intersection of friendship and creative freedom, this comedic drama was originally produced on Broadway and London’s West End. In a walk-up apartment in Greenwich Village, a distinguished professor of creative writing reluctantly agrees to mentor an ambitious student, and over the course of six years, the two women are led to question, “Who owns the story of your life?” January 2016

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BOOK REVIEW BY

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER flames aren’t all they battle. Sometimes, the fight runs deeper, as Wesley Williams learned on January 10, 1919. That was the day Williams left his young family in their Bronx apartment to report to his new job as New York City’s first (according to newspapers) black firefighter. It was a 45-minute ride to Little Italy, and he knew he could never be late. What he faced that day, and for months, wasn’t what he hoped to get from the job. He’d receive a $1,500-a-year salary and benefits of which few black men would dare to dream. He also received discrimination, subtly and overtly, but Williams persevered and thrived: in later years, he worked his way up to battalion chief. That was no easy feat for an African American man in early-to-mid 1900s America. Though black citizens represented a good part of New York City’s population, black “smoke eaters” were few in both police and fire departments; often, just 3 percent of the entire department. Early on, they had little security or clout, which is why Williams formed the Vulcans, a fraternal order for African American firefighters, in 1938. Still, Jim Crow hazing, testing biases and lack of urgency in City Hall kept many potential African American recruits from the FDNY. Some 80 years after Wesley Williams became a firefighter, the situation was different, but similar: racism lurked

quietly in pockets of the FDNY, testing continued to be a thorny issue, and there was still a disparity in numbers for “Bravest” African Americans. The Vulcans had long lobbied for change, with limited success and so, post-9/11, they took a drastic and controversial step… In a way, I saw “Fireﬁght” as two distinct books in one. First, readers may be shocked to learn of the racial imbalance perpetuated in such a large and esteemed department in one of our largest cities, and what had to be done to set things right. That account of modern-day struggles is how author Ginger Adams Otis kicks her

Fire buffs in particular will appreciate this book, as will anyone who loves a peek into the past with a dash of excitement.

Fireﬁght: The Century-Long Battle to Integrate New York’s Bravest BY GINGER ADAMS OTIS c.2015, Palgrave Macmillan $28.00 / $32.50 Canada 281 pages

hestnuts roasting on an open fire seem so cozy. Just humming that tune warms you up, right? Roaring flames on hearth or sand always seem welcoming, even romantic — except when they go out of control. And as for the person who puts out a fire like that, as you’ll see in “Firefight” by Ginger Adams Otis,

January 2016

book off, and though she winds recent happenings nicely around that of the past, the many names and legal skirmishes can become overwhelming for readers outside New York. Fortunately, the history of New York firefighting and the decades-old story of Wesley Williams comprise the other half of this book, and the latter is compelling. It weaves through Otis’ account of the present and tempers it; indeed, if your mind wanders, it’ll snap back when Williams’ name appears again. Fire buffs in particular will appreciate this book, as will anyone who loves a peek into the past with a dash of excitement. Yes, part of it may be a challenge to follow but the other half of “Firefight” will inflame you. s Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives with her two dogs and 11,000 books.

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Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Story Stroke survivor Mary Green returned to North Florida Regional to thank a special group of people. From the moment she arrived in our ER through her stay in our Neuroscience Suite and time with our Stroke Support Group, Mary received a level of care that helped make possible her amazing recovery. Mary says she feels great, is ready to conquer the world and has a plan for that. We believe her. The full story about the people who were there when Mary needed them most is on our website. The ER and Primary Stroke Center at North Florida Regional. Lifesaving care for Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Emergencies.

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